Apple might lower the MacBook Air’s price this year

For all their grandeur in the smartphone industry, Apple has stumbled in the notebook market. Overtaken by other tech giants, the MacBook last enjoyed a big announcement way back in 2016.

Finally, a new Mac rumor hints that Apple isn’t done with the MacBook just yet. According to known Apple leaker Ming-Chi Kuo, Apple might release a more affordable MacBook Air later this year.

The analyst notes that an updated MacBook Air will launch sometime in spring. However, the report doesn’t indicate if the new model will carry significant upgrades from its current version.

Apple last updated the MacBook Air in the latter half of 2017. Even then, the update only slightly improved the notebook’s specs. The aging Air still barely competes with the latest crop of starting notebook models. Currently, the starting MacBook Air retails for US$ 999.

As of late last year, Apple still hangs around at the top of the notebook market in terms of sales. A new update should breathe some much-needed life back into the MacBook business. At the very least, it will generate enough hype for when Apple decides on a major redesign for the MacBook. The last revamp, which includes the touch bar, opened to controversial reception.

If it launches within the next quarter, the new MacBook Air will likely appear in the rumored Apple event in March. As yet, the unconfirmed event hosts a plethora of rumors including a new iPhone SE, iPad, and AirPods.

Lenovo offers the most affordable GTX 1050-equipped laptop

If you’re looking for a new laptop that can handle demanding tasks, you might want to take advantage of Lenovo‘s offer for the IdeaPad 330. For just under forty thousand pesos, you could have your own 15-inch laptop with discrete graphics and fast processor.

Lenovo is marketing the decently specced IdeaPad 330 for casual gamers or individuals looking for a powerful laptop that can do video and photo editing with ease. The laptop mainly features an Intel Core i5-8300H processor and NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 graphics. Basically, Lenovo’s notebook has more than enough power than a conventional notebook in its price range.

Completing the specs sheet are the 15.6-inch Full HD display, 4GB DDR4 memory, and 1TB of storage. The laptop is also equipped with a plethora of ports including HDMI, full-size USB, and SD card reader.

You may get the Lenovo IdeaPad 330 for PhP 39,995 exclusively at the Legion Concept Store in SM North EDSA. Keep in mind that this is a limited offer until March 31, 2019. The laptop retails for PhP 47,495 in other stores, so you’re getting a pretty good discount during the promo period.

To make the deal even better, Lenovo is throwing in PhP 9,000 worth of freebies. This includes a JBL Clip 2, a Lenovo backpack, and Lenovo Accidental Daming Protection (ADP) on top of the 2-year warranty.

We already got our hands on one late last year. You may read our thoughts on the IdeaPad 330 here.

ASUS ZenBook 15 review: Everything you need in a laptop?

Very few laptops have everything a person would ever need out of it. Whether it’s just for typing Word documents or playing all the latest games, only a handful of laptops fit the bill. ASUS has one laptop to offer, which was announced back in IFA 2018.

The ASUS ZenBook 15 has almost every piece of hardware for everyone. But is a device powered by a powerful Intel processor and a gaming-ready graphics card really worth it? Let’s find out.

Same premium design through the years

ASUS dubs their ZenBook lineup as its top-of-the-line Ultrabook. Through the years, ZenBooks have retained their premium design and feel. So when I got the chance to try the new ZenBook 15 (UX533) out, I expected nothing less — and I was impressed. The build quality of the device is great, with a sturdy metal-plastic chassis that shows little to no flex. It even feels light to bring around, at only 1.59kg.

My unit has the Icicle Silver finish that shows off the elegance of the laptop. There is an option to get it in the bolder Royal Blue color, but it will definitely feel like you own a premium device the moment you set your eyes on it.

The only real change the company implemented was the addition of the ErgoLift. Essentially, it frees up space for the laptop to release hot air instead of blasting them on the table or your lap. It’s also supposed to make the bottom-facing speakers sound better, although this really wasn’t the case when I used it.

It almost has everything for everyone

The ZenBook 15 is one powerful machine, from the inside out. My unit comes with an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8565U processor and 16GB of RAM. This configuration alone guarantees superb performance, and the ZenBook 15 did not disappoint. Typing Word documents, surfing the web, even photo and video editing felt like a breeze with this machine. You can play games here too, but let’s save that discussion for later.

On the outside, you have a 15-inch Full HD anti-glare NanoEdge display — perfect for outdoor use at full brightness. It comes in a resolution of 1920 by 1080, a full 16:9 display with tiny bezels on the side.

The ZenBook 15 does come with three USB Type-A ports and one USB Type-C port that supports external displays; however, it would have been better to make it as Thunderbolt port to fully maximize the potential. The laptop also comes with a dual-band Wi-Fi card, although an additional Ethernet port would have been nice, as well.

It’s got game, but it really destroys your battery life

Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the ZenBook 15 is the fact that it comes with an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Max-Q. With this graphics chip, gaming on this laptop actually feels pretty damn good. It managed to get competitive frame rates for fast-paced games like Fortnite, PUBG, and Rocket League, all with high settings. But, don’t expect the same from AAA titles like Shadow of the Tomb Raider.

Also, there is a significant increase in the laptop’s overall temperature with longer than 30 minutes of play time. The left side of the laptop felt so hot, it’s almost like you could fry an egg on it. Of course, playing for long hours on this device drains the 73Wh battery significantly faster. I got about nine to ten hours on regular use, and only two to three hours on full game mode.

The camera is honestly only good for Windows Hello

The ZenBook 15 comes with an 3D infrared HD camera that supports Windows Hello. The infrared sensors were great at facial recognition, and Windows Hello felt really easy to set up and use. But, the camera was lackluster when taking photos and videos. It only seems passable to use for video calls, but the overall image quality just doesn’t equate to HD.

The bottom-facing speakers could be better

The two Harman/Kardon speakers on the ZenBook 15 are placed on the bottom side, facing the table or your lap. Sound quality is impressive until you turn it to maximum. Apart from that, I was expecting that they would sound better because of what ErgoLift supposedly does for them.

Is this your GadgetMatch?

For PhP 89,995 (US$ 1,720), the ASUS ZenBook 15 jams almost everything you need in a premium device. And for that price you get the highest, most powerful configuration possible. Anyone can do pretty much anything with the hardware that comes with it. Apart from that, its elegant design and lightweight body make it a perfect on-the-go device.

If you’re low on cash, you can also get the 14-inch ZenBook 14 for PhP 77,995. It only has 8GB of RAM and an NVIDIA GeForce MX150 graphics card that offers similar, but less powerful overall performance. But, you do get the illuminated number pad on the touchpad.

Of course, that is if you don’t mind the otherwise average camera and fryer-like temperatures with heavy gaming. However, if you’re looking for a laptop that can handle anything, the ZenBook 15 is for you!